Blackhawks 0 – Canadian 4 | The value and life after

(Montreal) At training camp, Martin St-Louis immediately spoke of the importance, for his players, of “increasing their value”.

Instinctively, and especially these days, one will think of the value linked to a potential exchange, but at the start of the season, it was mainly about progress and personal improvement compared to his current situation. Whether it’s a rookie patiently awaiting a recall (see: Harvey-Pinard, Rafaël), or a veteran whose role in training has not yet been determined.

The Habs’ 4-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday came after a really boring game. The visitors, whose best players seem to already see themselves elsewhere, completely collapsed after the Canadian’s second goal.

What this meeting allowed, however, was precisely for Montreal players to showcase themselves. First and foremost Jonathan Drouin and, to a lesser extent, Evgenii Dadonov. Two attackers who are spending the last year of their contract and whose jersey sales are not the bread and butter of specialty stores.

Drouin, first. The Quebecer is on a happy streak, by far his best of the season. Before getting injured in mid-January, he had just collected seven points in nine games. And since returning from his side’s break, which coincided with his own return to form, he has added five points in three games. Believe it or not, since December 29, he is the Canadiens’ second in scorer, only one point behind the 13 of Kirby Dach, who has however played seven games more than him.

“It feels good, admitted the main concerned after the meeting. I’m an offensive player, it’s my job to get points. We are playing well at the moment. I feel comfortable. »

constancy

The less sensitive reader would be better off not reading the following segment with a sharp object in hand. But Jonathan Drouin, since his arrival with the Canadiens, has been a fairly constant contributor offensively.

The examination of his game on the qualitative level obviously makes it possible to detect flaws. It is not the most relentless in the bottom of the territory or in defensive withdrawal, for example. But even though he suffered several injuries that forced him to miss half of his club’s games over the past four years, he consistently produces at a rate of 43 to 48 points per 82 games. This does have value.

Drouin makes no secret of it at all: he wants his current successes to attract the attention of a general manager by March 3, the deadline for transactions.

“In the position where we are going to be, within two weeks, you want a team to come and get you for a chance to win the Stanley Cup, he said frankly. You want a team to be attracted to you, to want you. »

The ball and chain that the winger drags under his feet is on the one hand his contract, which is too onerous for his one-dimensional contribution, and on the other hand the fact that he seemed unable to stay healthy for a long time at the recent years. It’s boosting its value at the right time, but is it too late for it to reap the rewards elsewhere this season? It could well be.

Nevertheless, there is life after this campaign, and Drouin will have to find a new contract, whether in Montreal or, presumably, elsewhere. That, too, he is fully aware of.

“The only thing I control is how I play hockey. “It serves him rather well now, and it serves the Canadian well too, who has just, without being moved, to sign three wins in a row.

“A lot of guys are upping their value; it shows in the performance of our team and the way we play, confirmed Martin St-Louis after Tuesday’s game. When everyone is engaged and part of the recipe, it helps us win. A lot of guys are playing really good hockey. »

Dadonov too

This last statement, and the head coach has confirmed it himself, also targets Evgenii Dadonov, who is also looking for a new contract like Drouin.

His recent production is less dazzling – four points in his last three games, all the same – but his involvement is obvious, which we couldn’t often say before Christmas. It manifests itself in battles for the puck, for example, or in well-chosen individual maneuvers.

“I know you can look at the stats, or just focus on a game or a period, and say he’s not working, but in general he’s a hard worker,” St-Louis said of the forward. Russian. He knows a lot of [stabilité] with a guy like Dach, who plays very well, and Hoffman who complements his game. »

After a long adaptation at the start of the course, “we see his confidence coming back,” added Jake Allen.

Like Drouin, this revival is timely. But there too, it could be too little, too late, for the Canadian to hope for a drinkable return in a transaction.

However, this gives, for the moment at least, some victories to the supporters who come to encourage them. In this too there is a value.

Rising

Jake Allen

It’s not the most exhausting shutout of his career, but he has just put in two solid performances in a row after returning from a long break.

Falling

Josh Anderson

The verdict may seem harsh. However, despite all the energy he deploys, his lack of finishing sometimes catches up with him.

The number of the game

90%

Christian Dvorak was downright dominant in the face-off circle. He was perfect (8 for 8) after two periods, and finished the game with a performance of 90% (9 for 10).